DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto.

"hello"-speech

"hello"-thoughts, jutsus, other Japanese words (hope they're right though)

"hello"-Kyuubi talking

This story takes place after Manga Chapter 325. Hope you like it.

Naruto: Chapter 1 – Hidan's End

Night had come, and the three figures of Naruto, Kakashi, and Yamato sat around a bonfire, warming themselves. The sounds of water falling from Yamato's jutsu, the cackling of fire and occasional calls of animals were the only sounds to be heard. Yamato looked at Kakashi, and sensing the look, Kakashi nodded as if to himself and took out a worn out scroll from his pocket.

"Naruto" called Kakashi.

"Yes, sensei?" answered Naruto.

"This is for you" said Kakashi while handing the scroll to Naruto.

"What is it?"

"A letter…from your father."

"My…..my father?"

Kakashi nodded and said, "The scroll is sealed with a blood seal. So only you can be the one to read it".

Unable to contain his excitement, Naruto bit his thumb, smeared the seal with his blood and opened the scroll. The letter read:

To my dearest son,

I deeply apologize that this letter only comes to you now. But I gave explicit rules to Konoha that this letter be given to you only when you are of jounin level and more experienced in the life of a shinobi or if your life is in grave danger. I have also given strict instructions that no one inform you or anyone else that you are my son. If enemies of Konoha were to know, then your reputation will only put you in more danger.

I am writing this while the demon fox Kyuubi is attacking our beloved village. I know that I will not survive this encounter because of the need to contain him. My son, I have chosen you as the vessel for the Kyuubi. I do not know what will happen once the creature is sealed within you…but I know that you are strong and you will overcome any obstacle that will face you. It is you, and you alone whom I feel is worthy for this task.

Your mother and I love you deeply. My only regret is that we will not be there to watch over you. Thus, you must grow strong and never stop learning. Also remember that a good shinobi must adjust and cope in any situation...that is why I have always emphasized teamwork, because one grows strong with the help of others and your help to them.

Your loving father,

Uzumaki Arashi

Yondaime

Tears began to fall from Naruto's eyes when he finished reading the letter. He rolled up the scroll and looked at Kakashi. Kakashi also mirrored Naruto's sadness and said, "Now you know. I'm sorry that we kept you in the dark, but the Yondaime had left instructions not to tell you…."

"I know….he said so in his letter", replied Naruto.

Yamato looked at Kakashi and said "I guess it is time to show him."

"Yes", replied Kakashi. "But let's rest for now and go tomorrow."

Naruto didn't know what they were talking about, and didn't care at the moment. He stood up, and started walking away.

"Naruto", Yamato started to call.

"No, let him be. After what he just found out, it's best he be left alone", said Kakashi and started to lie down and go to sleep.

Yamato looked at the figure of Naruto walking away with worry on his face, shook his head once and made ready to go to sleep.

Naruto had been walking for quite some time and was a bit far from the two jounins. Satisfied that he would not disturb them, he clenched his father's letter in his hand. "I will not disappoint you Father." "Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Meanwhile – with Asuma, his team and the Akatsuki members

Kakuzu looked at Asuma then at Shikamaru while holding the head of Hidan.

"Dammit! What are you standing around for? Get me back to my body so I can finish my ceremony!" Hidan's head said.

"Shut up! You had your chance with them. I told you this would happen if you got careless." Kakuzu said calmly. Kakuzu felt a faint but familiar chakra signature nearby. He changed his grip of Hidan's head and started to squeeze.

"What….what are you doing?" Hidan shouted.

"Cleaning up" said Kakuzu and closed his hand. Blood burst, staining the floor, and the Akatsuki member's uniform. He then dropped the crushed head, did a few one-handed seals and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Asuma, Shikamaru, Kotetsui and Izumo looked at the crushed head of Hidan in shock.

"He….he killed his own partner" mumbled Shikamaru.

Asuma nodded and looked at his team. "We must get Chiriku's body. He deserves a proper funeral" and walked away from the dead body towards the nearby Bounty Station.

"But senpai, what about the other member?" asked Kotetsui.

"Shigata ga nai (nothing can be done). We don't know where he's teleported to. We'll get the Inuzuka clan to help us, but we must first report to Hokage-sama" replied Asuma. "And bring the head and the body. We'll have it put in a body bag at the Bounty Station and show it to Hokage-sama."

Kotetsui hoisted the body on to his shoulder while Izumo retrieved the head.

Shikamaru now and then glanced at the remains of Hidan thinking "These Akatsuki guys……they just don't care…." His body trembled with what he just witnessed and re-evaluated why he was a shinobi.

"How troublesome" he thought.

Once the team had left, Zetsu appeared at a far distance, rising from the ground. "Kakuzu has yet again killed another partner…should we retrieve the body?" the white side of Zetsu said.

"No, it would be a bother to fight them and revive the religious fanatic" said the dark side of Zetsu. "Yes…..it would be…" said the white side. And with that, Zetsu slid back down into the ground as if he was never there.

The next day

Dawn was coming and smoke was the only traces left of the bonfire the night before. Captain Yamato woke up to see Kakashi reading his Icha-icha tactics with his and Naruto's gear already packed up.

"Where's Naruto?" asked Yamato.

"Sleeping at the far side of the camp, exhausted from training the whole night."

Yamato packed up his gear and said "Kakashi-senpai, can you bring the gear? I'll carry Naruto."

"Yosh."

Kakashi led the way through the dense forest while Yamato carried Naruto on his back. Every now and then Naruto would mumble something, and Yamato would glance at him occasionally, concerned for the boy.

Naruto woke up to find himself in a dark and dank but familiar place. "Huh? What am I doing here?"

"I wished to speak with you" said the Kyuubi.

"Huh? What for?"

"I observed while you were training the whole night. You are still weak."

"Shut up! I WILL complete this justu! I have to….for my father…"

"Ahhh yes. The man who sealed me and now I am contained within his son. How ironic."

Naruto looked angrily at the demon fox "What would you know?" then realized "And how do you know he's my father? I only found out moments ago."

The demon fox chuckled at him and said "I reside in your body. I can hear your thoughts and….you can hear mine, if you knew how to listen."

"Hmp", said Naruto. Then looked down, saddened by the death of his father and the cause of it was right in front of him.

"You are still weak….you let emotion affect you, and now you do not wish to use my chakra? How do you expect to grow strong?"

Naruto gave the demon fox a determined look. "With hard work, I may not be a genius, but as fuzzy-eyebrows said, genius can be beaten with hard work."

"Baka" the demon fox thought, "But if he dies, I die along with him…."

"Very well, I will teach you. But only because of the brave act your father did. Such quality deserves rewards, neh?"

"Eh? Teach me? Teach me what?" Naruto asked excitedly. But the Kyuubi sank deeper into his cage and suddenly sent a wave of chakra that knocked Naruto off his feet and banged his head on the floor, darkness enveloping him once more.

Naruto woke up to find himself being carried on Yamato's back. "Sensei, where are we going?"

"To Yondaime's hidden house. He left it to you" replied Yamato.

"We're here" said Kakashi.

The two jounins stopped in front of a large rock formation at the edge of the forest. Behind the rock formation, a crystal clear lake could be seen not far off.

"Naruto, please put Yondaime's scroll in front of the three of us" said Kakashi.

Naruto nodded and took out the scroll from his pocket, but still confused as to what was going on.

"Now, the two of you follow the seals I will make, and then direct a small amount of chakra to the scroll."

Kakashi started slowly doing a series of hand seals, while Yamato and Naruto quickly copied what he was doing. Once the seals were complete, they held their hands over the scroll.

Kakashi shouted "Kai!"

Slowly, the rock formation began to disappear, replaced by a two story house. Yamato and Naruto looked at the house in surprise.

"I didn't even detect any chakra signature. That is a really powerful genjutsu!" said Yamato.

"As expected from the Fourth Hokage" replied Kakashi.

The three entered the house. Kakashi turned to Yamato and said "Tenzou, can you please make us some breakfast? I'll show Naruto around". Yamato nodded and headed for the kitchen. Kakashi gestured for Naruto to follow him and went the rear area of the house where a large bookcase stood.

"Naruto, this secret compartment is sealed by a blood seal, please open it" said Kakashi while pointing at a nondescript book. Naruto pricked his finger with a kunai and smeared his blood on the book after which Kakashi pulled the top of the book outwards, and the bookcase slid aside revealing a large room with numerous scrolls, kunai, and a large desk in the far end with a katana on it.

"This is all yours" said Kakashi while heading for the table.

Naruto looked at everything open-mouthed and slowly followed Kakashi.

There was a note beside the katana which read:

Kakashi,

I know that if Naruto were to be able to find this place, it would be you who would be the one to show him. This sword is the last of the Yoshimoto swords. It was a gift from the great sword-smith himself on my first year as Hokage. Please give it to my son.

Kakashi looked at the katana in wonder and gingerly touched the sheathed sword.

"What is it, sensei?" asked Naruto.

"This sword….was made especially for Yondaime….by the greatest sword-smith to have walked this earth. The last of the Yoshimoto blades. Only 9 are known to have ever been made, the first was given to one of the ancestors of the late Emperor Jimmu Tenno, the others to powerful Daimyos, and it is popular belief that the last was never finished...but here it is."

Kakashi placed the katana in Naruto's hands. Naruto started to unsheathe the blade but Kakashi interrupted "Don't draw the blade in full length unless you intend to use it."

Naruto nodded and looked at the unsheathed part of the blade, luminous in the darkness.

Kakashi nodded and smiled "Good, I'll leave you to explore. I'll see if Yamato needs help with the cooking. I know you've got a big appetite" and headed for the kitchen.

Naruto sat down on the chair behind the desk, still looking at the beauty of the blade.

"Draw the blade out" whispered the Kyuubi.

Naruto jumped in surprise and thought "What the.."

"It seems the knowledge about your father has heightened your senses…now, draw the blade out."

"But Kakashi-sensei told me not to unless I intended to use it."

"There is no one here to use it on is there? I wish to see the full length of the blade as well."

Naruto hesitated a moment, but seeing nothing wrong with the Kyuubi's reasoning started pulling out the full length of the sword. As he did so, the blade sang as it left its scabbard and seemed to come alive in his hands.

"Now, pour your chakra into the sword."

"Why? It's just a sword, not like the chakra knives that Asuma-sensei has."

"Baka! Just do as I say!"

Naruto trembled with anger and in doing so accidentally emanated chakra from his body. The blue chakra suddenly transferred from Naruto onto the blade of the sword, forming a sort of secondary length to the already long blade.

"He…hey! The steel also uses chakra…"

"Only wind-natured chakra…The man who sealed me was wind-natured as well."

"Dosu was also wind-natured?"

"Yes, I sensed the same chakra signature in him and in you. Now, look at those kunai on the shelf there"

Naruto sheathed the sword, slung it onto his back and walked over to the weird looking kunai on the shelf. Each kunai had three prongs and had a seal written on the handle. He took one in his hand and as if it came naturally, twirled the kunai on his fingers.

"These kunai also use wind-natured chakra."

"How do you know?"

"He used them against me at the early stages of our battle."

Naruto nodded in understanding and transferred chakra on the kunai. His chakra encompassed the kunai but wasn't as sharp edged as Asuma's was.

"I'll start using these instead of the ordinary kunai I have" thought Naruto. The Kyuubi grunted in agreement.

"Thanks Kyuubi."

The demon fox remained silent. Naruto walked over to the shelf with scrolls and began perusing them. Written on one scroll was "Shunshin no jutsu(Body Flicker)."

"Hmmm, this looks interesting" opened it and began reading the contents of the scroll.

After an hour or so, Kakashi came in and announced "Food's ready."

After the meal, Naruto gathered the plates and made to wash them. Kakashi gestured Yamato to follow him outside the house.

"Tenzou, please inform the Hokage of where Naruto and I will be for the next following days. I will supervise his training here" said Kakashi.

"But what if the Kyuubi's chakra comes out again? You'll need my help" replied Yamato.

Kakashi took out a piece of paper from his pocket and showed it to Yamato. "I still have these. They're from Jiraiya. I can stop the Kyuubi's chakra with it."

Yamato nodded, grabbed his gear from the house, said farewell to Naruto and Kakashi and began the journey to Konoha.

Kakashi looked at Naruto and said "Let's continue your training."

"Yosh!" shouted Naruto with a fierce determination.